Eye make-up products, such as eyeliners and mascaras, constitute a significant share of the cosmetics market. Eyeliners are applied along the user's eyelids to enhance and emphasize the contour of the user's eyes, and mascaras, by forming a colored coating over the user's eyelashes, function to darken, and in some incidents can even volumize/extend/curl, the user's eyelashes.
In spite of their initial beauty-enhancing characteristics, most conventional eye make-up compositions have failed to produce the desired beautifying effects after long hours of wearing. Problems such as flaking and smudging are well known for eye make-up compositions. On the other hand, the so-called water-proof and long-wear eye make-up compositions, which typically include one or more water-insoluble latex polymers, are extremely hard to remove. Special eye make-up removers are required, which contain oils or organic solvents that leave an oily or greasy film on the skin after application. For users with relatively sensitive eyes, the special eye mark-up removers may even cause irritation or allergic reactions.
There is therefore a continuing need for improved eye make-up compositions. It will be especially advantageous to provide a cosmetic composition that not only has the long-wear and reduced flaking and smudging properties, but can also readily be removed by using merely warm water.